What's this?The overall score for a tested model is based on CR's results from more than 50 tests and evaluations. You can easily see how its overall score compares with the "Highest" and "Lowest" rated vehicles in its category. The overall score was revised in spring 2014 to better reflect the state of the art for today's cars and how drivers use them.

The redesigned WRX, with its wide fenders and muscular stance, is only available as a sedan. Its 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder produces 268-hp and an abundant 258-pound-feet of torque, driving all four wheels. A six-speed manual is standard, but a CVT automatic is offered, with three drive modes: Intelligent, Sport, and Sport Sharp. Power is abundant and handling is nimble, but the ride is very stiff and choppy, and the stiff-feeling shifter and abrupt clutch engagement make the WRX frustrating as a daily driver. Still, it's among the few high-performance cars that has four-door practicality. The higher-performance WRX STi has a giant wing on the trunk, some transmission and suspension differences, and a stronger 305-hp engine.